The Battle of Iwo Jima:
USS IWO JIMA (LHD 7) is named for the epic battle of February 1945, in which
three divisions of the United States Marine Corps took control of the tiny
island of Iwo Jima from 22,000 determined Japanese defenders.

The United States had recovered from the disastrous attack on Pearl Harbor,
to the point where routine air attacks on Japanese cities could be made by
heavy bombers launched from the Marianas. The successful outcome of the war
seemed inevitable, but victory over the Japanese would come only at a high
price. The Japanese considered Iwo Jima a part of mainland Japan, and an
invader had not set foot on Japanese soil for 4,000 years.

Iwo Jima was a thorn in the side of the U.S. heavy bomber crews. Air attacks
on the Marianas bomber bases, and bombers enroute to and from Japan,were
launched from Iwo Jima. An assault on the island was necessary to eliminate
these air attacks and to provide a haven for damaged American aircraft
returning from Japan.

Amphibious forces of the U.S. Pacific Fleet attacked the fortress of Iwo Jima
on February 19, 1945, with a formidable force, totaling 495 ships, including
17 aircraft carriers, 1170 planes, and 110,308 troops. Before the amphibious
assault, elements of the Air Force and Army Air Corps pounded the island in
the longest sustained aerial offensive of the war. Incredibly, this ferocious
bombardment had little effect. Hardly any of the Japanese underground
fortresses were touched.

The Japanese defenders devised a unique and deadly strategy to defend Iwo
Jima from an American assault. Instead of building a barrier to stop the
Americans at the beach, they fortified the interior of the island, creating a
defense that could not be breached in a day.

On Feb. 19, 1945, the first wave of Marines were launched after an hour-long
bombardment by the Navy’s “big guns.” The Americans planned to capture,
isolate and fortify Mt. Suribachi. The success of the entire assault depended
upon the early capture of the mountain.

After an hour of calm, the Japanese defenders, hiding in their network of
caves and underground bunkers, unleashed a hail of gunfire. Mortars, machine
guns and heavy artillery rained down from scores of machine gun nests atop
Suribachi. After the first day of fighting, 566 American men were killed and
1,755 more were wounded. For the next several days, some of the bloodiest
battles of the Pacific were fought on the isle of Iwo Jima.

It was a battle of attrition on terrain that had no front lines; where the
attackers were exposed and the defenders fortified.

The battle for Iwo was fought desperately until March 26th, when the island
was finally secured by U.S. forces. In the struggle, nearly 7,000 Americans
and more than 20,000 Japanese were killed. It was one of the most savage and
costly battles in the history of the Marine Corps. As Fleet Admiral Chester
W. Nimitz observed, “Among the Americans who served on Iwo Jima, uncommon
valor was a common virtue.”

PFC Jack Lucas was 17 when he earned the Medal of Honor, the youngest awardee
in our nation’s history. He leapt on two live grenades, saving countless
brother Marines. A doctor aboard the hospital ship on which Lucas was treated
said he was, “too damned young and too damned tough to die.” When asked, 53
years later, why he jumped on the grenades, Jack simply said, “to save my
buddies.” He and his lovely wife, Ruby, are honorary crew and family members
of USS IWO JIMA (LHD 7).

USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7):

Command Deployment History:

LHD-7 is the second ship to bear the name "IWO JIMA." The first,
LPH 2, was designed from the keel up as an amphibious assault ship, was
launched September 17, 1960 at Bremerton, Washington and commissioned August
26, 1961.

In September 1963, IWO JIMA (LPH 2) made her first deployment to the Western
Pacific, one of six deployments the ship would make in the region. In April
1970 IWO JIMA (LPH 2) made history while serving as the Primary Recovery Ship
for Apollo 13, the crippled lunar landing mission.

In June 1976, Iwo Jima (LPH 2) commenced her fourth appointment to the
Mediterranean and participated in the evacuation of civilians from Beirut,
Lebanon. In August 1990, two weeks after the initial deployment of troops to
the Persian Gulf for operation Desert Shield, you will Jima (LPH 2) became
the first amphibious assault ship to deploy to that area, and served as a
part of the coalition which ultimately drove Iraq forces from Kuwait. USS Iwo
Jima (LPH 2) was decommissioned in 1993.

Fabrication work for the new USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) began at Ingalls shipyard
September 3, 1996, and the ships keel was laid on December 12, 1997. She was
launched on February 4, 2000. USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) was christened by her
sponsor, Mrs. Zandra Krulak, and Pascagoula, Mississippi on March 25, 2000.

The commissioning crew moved aboard in April of 2001, and made the ship's
maiden voyage (accompanied by more than 2000 World War II veterans many of
them survivors of valid Iwo Jima) on June 23, 2001. She was commissioned a
week later and Pensacola Florida, on June 30, 2001. Shortly thereafter, the
ship and crew began an accelerated enter deployment training cycle, which
tested virtually every system on board in realistic combat conditions.

Completing essentially four deployments in one, Iwo Jima's operational
capabilities were put to the test as the ship inserted Marines from 26MEU
(SOC) into Northern Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, patrolled by the
Persian Gulf in stifling summer heat, conducted operations in and around
Djibouti as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the spearheaded and peace
keeping mission of the coast of the war-torn nation of Liberia.

The ship transited the Straits of Gibraltar, Suez Canal, Bab Tel Mandeb, and
the streets of Hormuz twice each on its 45,000 nautical mile maiden
deployment.

In August 2005 Iwo Jima (LHD 7) emerged as the center of Joint Task Force
Katrina and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) led recovery and
assistance efforts in the battered cities of Biloxi gulf port in New Orleans
following Hurricane Katrina's landfall that year. For more than a month, the
ship provided crucial hospital, flight deck and a myriad of other relief
capabilities to the devastated region.

June 6, 2006 USS Iwo Jima, commanded by Capt. Michael A. Wally departed from
Naval Station Norfolk for six months to conduct maritime security operations
in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

July 4, 2006 USS IWO JIMA Expeditionary Strike Group transited the Suez Canal
to relieve the USS Peleliu on her duty in the US Fifth Fleet area of
operations. The ESG conducted maritime security operations (MSO) throughout
the region and support further testing from the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

July 18, 2006 U.S. Sailors and Marines from the LHD 7 Expeditionary Strike
Group and 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit were directed to assist the
authorized departure of American citizens from Lebanon. The U.S. Embassy in
Lebanon has requested military assistance to help American citizens who wish
to depart Lebanon to leave in a secure and orderly manner.

October 2, AV-8B Harriers, as a part of the 24th Marine expeditionary unit
air combat element (ACE) that were attached to USS Iwo Jima, completed combat
missions September 21 in direct support of operation enduring freedom,
against Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan. To date, the Harriers have
completed approximately 136 sorties to include 17 precision guided munitions
in support of OEF and coalition efforts.

December 6, 2006 USS Iwo Jima returned to Norfolk after six-month deployment.

March 27, 2009 USS Iwo Jima returned to Norfolk after completing the
seven-month underway period.

May 20, 2009 the Iwo Jima arrived in New York City to participate in the 22nd
commemoration of Fleet Week New York City 2009.

July 9, 2009 USS Iwo Jima surged to the Gulf of Guyana to support the US
President Barack Obama's visit to Ghana July 10-11 for operation JUPITER
SENTINEL.

From October to December 2009, Iwo Jima went through successful CNO
availability at BAE systems shipyard. During that time, IWO JIMA scored high
marks during the light off assessment November 23-25, 2009. For the remainder
of 2009 IWO JIMA remained in port at Naval Station Norfolk.

Since the start of 2010, Team IWO prepared for Inspection and Survey (INSURV)
that took place April before leaving later that month for Fleet week Port
Everglades.

May 25, 2010 USS Iwo Jima departed for New York City for the 23rd annual
commemoration of Fleet Week New York City.

July 12, 2010, IWO JIMA deployed to participate in CONTINUING PROMISE 2010
(CP10) which encompassed joint civil-military operations including
humanitarian and civic assistance, as well as veterinary, medical, dental and
civil engineering support to eight partner nations, and to send a strong
message of commitment, partnership and cooperation to Central and South
America. Her accomplishments include maintaining the highest level of
readiness and professionalism by seamlessly integrating with Marines and
Sailors from Company A, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Combat Logistics
Regiment 25, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 774 and MACS-2. Onboard IWO
JIMA, the CP10 medical contingent of more than 500 joint military and
international medical professionals and non-governmental organizations
(NGO’s) worked alongside host nationals to triage more than 39,000 primary
care patients, perform 320 shipboard surgeries, dispense 76,000
prescriptions, and provide more than 26,000 veterinary services. In addition,
military engineering teams and volunteers completed 26 projects to include
building playgrounds, fencing and refurbishing schools and hospitals. During
CP10, IWO JIMA was redirected to Haiti to provide Hurricane Assistance and
Disaster Relief in the wake of Hurricane Tomas early November. Upon arrival,
she provided timely and accurate damage assessments by conducting eight
aerial reconnaissance flights incorporating non-traditional intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance processes in order to determine the extent of
damage and obstruction to main lines of communication along Haiti’s southern
peninsula. Once it was determined IWO JIMA mission was complete in Haiti She
was released for one last logistics and replenishment port visit in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba before heading to Onslow Bay, N.C. to begin the off load
of the CP10 contingent commands before returning to her Norfolk Va. Homeport
November 18, 2010.